


Haru Accepts He is NOT a Merman... yet.

by rainbowsprinklesandcats



Category: Free!
Genre: (belated) happy birthday haru, Alternate Universe - Fashion & Models, I tried not to make it THAT bad, M/M, Reigisa if you squint, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, based on that grownup picture of Haru, birthday fic, has exams!Makoto, he really should, less squinty sourin, long distance, maybe slight OOC? okay it's a stretch, model!Haru, model!Sousuke, model!rin, nonmodel!Makoto but he should, yeah the one for his birthday
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-01
Updated: 2017-07-01
Packaged: 2018-11-21 20:23:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,617
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11364948
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rainbowsprinklesandcats/pseuds/rainbowsprinklesandcats
Summary: It's Haru's birthday, his first away from Makoto. And of course, Haru feels incomplete without him by his side. No worries, his friends are there to save the day!





	Haru Accepts He is NOT a Merman... yet.

June 30, 2017

Click.

“A more intense gaze Nanase-san.”

Click.

“Yes, like that.”

Click. Click.

“More. To the side.”

Click. Click. Click.

“Okay, I think we got it.”

Haruka Nanase sighs as he gets up. Who knew sitting could be so stressful? He walks to his dressing room and lies down on the couch. He sends a quick message on his phone.

 

To Makoto: I’m done.

 

Haru scrolls through their old messages. Makoto usually texts more than him, sending him pictures of the most mundane things but for the 24 hours, Haru’s been the one giving and never receiving. He worries his lip. _On my birthday too._

It’s his birthday and he gets to do a photoshoot in Toronto. Toronto is far from Tokyo, where his boyfriend lives. Toronto is far from home and the love of his life. Toronto is miles of sea water away. He wouldn’t mind swimming across the Pacific if he knew he wouldn’t tire out before reaching the middle. He could fantasize all he wants but he’s still limited by his human capabilities.

 _If it WAS my special day, why couldn’t I spend it the way I want?_ He heaved another sigh.

“Why all the heavy sighs? It’s your day. Smile a bit more.” Rin walks into the room carrying a soda with him. He takes a seat on the armchair facing Haru. The redhead taps his soda against his head. “Ah, let me think… Makoto’s not here.”

Haru throws a pillow at his face. Rin catches it on time. “Bingo.”

Sousuke enters the room and Rin turns his attention towards him “Hey babe, got you your soda.”

Sousuke walks over and plants a kiss on his boyfriend’s forehead before planting himself on the armrest of the chair Rin’s sitting on. “Thanks babe.”

Haru turns around to face the back of the sofa, intending to avoid looking at the couple anymore. He’ll deny it with all his ability if someone asks him if he’s jealous. He just wants HIS boyfriend here. _What’s the use of having a birthday if he’s not here? He hasn’t even greeted me…_ _maybe he’s mad I left him with just a note. Should’ve left him food too… UGH._

“Why do the two of you get to be here?” Haru mumbles into the chair. Rin hears him nevertheless.

“Because you needed a translator and I wanted to bring Sousuke along. Easy as that. The real question is why Makoto isn’t here. He has exams. And knowing baby Makoto, he wouldn’t miss a chance to ace it and make you proud. Besides, you always make him some sort of chocolate treat when he does. He practically lives for it now. That’s what you get for training him. By the time he gets a diploma, he’ll also get a prescription for diabetes.” Rin walks over and rubs Haru’s head. Haru slaps his hand away.

“Shut up Rin… and I don’t bake him stuff EVERY time… just… during finals… midterms… exams… fuck. I have to stop that.” Haru returns to moping while Rin and Sousuke raid the mini-fridge.

Ping!

Haru can hear Rin walking towards his laptop, a Skype call waiting to be answered. All of a sudden, Nagisa’s voice fills up the room.

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY HARU-CHAN!!!” Haru turns towards the monitor to see Nagisa’s beaming face while Rei has his scrunched up with his hands covering his ears.

“Are you done Nagisa-kun?” Rei asks the man beside him. Nagisa nods and Rei faces the camera. “Happy birthday Haruka-senpai.” He takes out a cake with a dolphin candle on it.

“Haru-chan, you have to blow the candle! Get up and come over here!” Nagisa was bouncing, excitable as always. Haru gets up and heads over to the laptop.

“Nagisa, I doubt Haru can blow the candle with a screen in between.” Rin voices Haru’s thoughts as he crosses his arms.

“No, no. It’ll be fine Rin-rin. Trust me. Sou-chan trusts me, right?” Nagisa moves his puppy dog eyes towards the man in the back. Sousuke scoffs, a sarcastic “sure” coming out of his mouth.

“See? See? Haru-chan blow the candle!” _Pushy,_ Haru thinks. The birthday boy moves closer to the laptop and blows at the screen feeling just a tad ridiculous. At the same time, Nagisa comes closer and blows the candle in his behalf.

“YES! CAKE!” Nagisa immediately drops a finger into the cake and licks his finger of the icing.

“NAGISA! Patience.” Rei grabs the cake away and stows it in the back. “How’s Toronto Haruka-senpai?”

Haru shrugs. “Thanks for the cake guys. You can eat it without me.” He walks back to his sofa.

“He’s sulking because I get to be with Sousuke and Makoto can’t be here.” Rin explains to their friends and Haru contemplates throwing another pillow at him but he decides Rin isn’t worth the effort. Instead, he uses the pillow to cover his ears and take a nap.

OvO

“Haru, it’s time to get up.” The swimmer feels a nudge against his shoulder and he shrugs the hand away. “Come on, you haven’t eaten anything for… 24 hours. And I know you’ve been up for most of that time. You’ve been texting me by the hour.” Haru tightens his hold on the pillow against his ear.

“Makoto…” He mumbles hoping the stranger would walk away. As if the name itself would explain how the absence of his childhood friend makes him unmotivated to do anything, much less eat.

“Mmh?” That sound makes Haru’s eyes open up. _Wait._ With him more alert than a few seconds ago, Haru thinks he can smell the mackerel, feel the usual warmth he’s been seeking out for 24 hours, picture the warm smile that lights up his day no matter what. He turns around, slowly, scared it’s all a dream and the apparition would go away once his eyes land on it. But alas, it’s all a reality and Haru feels his eyes widen before he can control it.

“Makoto…” the name comes out a whisper before he pounces on the brown-eyed perfection in front of him. “Makoto!” He buries his head into the crook of his neck and breathes in the smell of earth and detergent on his boyfriend. “Makoto, Makoto, Makoto…” Haru murmurs his name over and over again like a mantra, sending the owner of said name into a fit of giggles.

“I’m happy to be here too, Haru.” He tightens his hold on the swimmer and lifts him completely off the couch. “Good thing I put the mackerel on the table beforehand right?” Haru looks to the side and sees a perfectly cooked mackerel with a candle in the middle.

“It’s perfect…” Haru whispers.

Makoto rubs the back of his neck. “Well… Sousuke cooked it. I asked him to. I can’t possibly cook while travelling right?” Makoto smiled sheepishly.

“Right. Makoto?” _Why are you here? How did you get here? Your exams? The money?_

“Well, Rin and Sousuke helped me land the tickets. It’s nice to have a lot of model friends who earn money and help you pay for spontaneous expensive things. I still have to pay them back though… not sure how to go around that but I’ll find a way-“

“WE’RE NOT ACCEPTING YOUR PAYMENT MAKOTO TACHIBANA. KEEP THAT MONEY IN YOUR POCKET AND SAVE IT UP FOR A RING. HARU WANTS A BIG ONE.” Rin shouts over the door.

“STOP EAVESDROPPING RIN. GO AND GET YOUR OWN ROOM WITH SOUSUKE.” Haru pretends not to hear the commotion made by the couple outside. Makoto’s more important. “And I don’t mind what kind of ring you buy. It can be made of gummies for all I care. I’m just glad you’re here.” Haru hugs his boyfriend tightly.

“Me too. Well anyways, I took my exams early. So I finished them all the day before you had to leave. Our friends gave me the money after I told them I had wrapped things up. I was supposed to go to the airport with you and buy tickets on the spot but someone decided to leave a note and fly without me.”

“You- you- ticket? Buy? Same plane?! Could’ve given me a heads-up.” Haru smacks his arm.

“Well yes, but I’m here now. And the mackerel is waiting. Blow your candle Haru.”

Haru looks at the boy in front of him and then to the plate he’s now lifting with his right hand. He blows the candle immediately, his wish having been granted before he was able to ask for it. “A real candle, finally.”

“Oh, Nagisa and Rei called already? Nagisa must be very pleased with the cake.”

“Shouldn’t I be the one they have to please?”

“Well, we brought you mackerel.” Makoto brings the plate to his eye level.

“Ah yes. And Makoto.”

“And Makoto.” The brunet smiles.

“I have to thank Rin and Sousuke for this right?” Haru grumbles into Makoto’s shirt and the brunet laughs. “They wouldn’t let me live it down.”

“They love you Haru.” Haru looks up at his boyfriend, a ridiculous but important question in his eyes. “Of course. I love you Haru. Never stopped, not even for a moment. Never will.”

“I love you too… Makoto.” Haru plants a quick kiss on his boyfriend’s lips. “Ultimate present.”

“Ah yes, but it doesn’t have to end there.” Makoto puts down the plate and sits on the couch dragging Haru to sit on his lap. Haru gets the idea that they wouldn’t be leaving this room for a few more hours, not that Rin and Sousuke will mind. They found a room of their own and are preoccupied with their own fun.

Haru doesn’t mind Toronto so much anymore.

**Author's Note:**

> TADA! Last minute writing. 
> 
> I remembered it was his birthday... on July 1 (in my country) but THANK GOD HUMANS MADE THE WORLD MORE COMPLICATED AND RECOGNIZED THE DIFFERENT TIME ZONES SO THIS IS NOT EXACTLY BELATED BUT IT DEPENDS ON WHERE YOU'RE READING THIS BWAHAHAHAHAHA
> 
> I'm trying to make myself feel better okay TT I was slightly pissed at myself because even while writing this, some people moved on to July 1 before I allowed them to all because I was distracted with trying to find the "right music" for 3 hours.
> 
> HAPPY BIRTHDAY HARUKA NANASE. We're still here to celebrate it and your friends' upcoming birthdays. <3 <3
> 
> Disclaimer: If your teeth start to rot because of this fic, I have no means of sending you to a dentist. All on you. So here's a bear hug. *big bear hug*


End file.
